Vance, a Catholic who has clashed with the pontiff over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, met Francis at his Vatican residence to exchange Easter greetings, the statement said.

“Pope Francis had a brief private encounter… lasting a few minutes, in order to exchanges good wishes on Easter day,” said the statement.

Vance, who has been visiting Italy with his family this weekend, met senior Vatican officials for more formal talks yesterday.

The pope, who is recovering from double pneumonia, did not take part in those discussions.

The pope and Vatican officials have criticised several of the policies of American leader Donald Trump’s administration, including his plans to deport millions of migrants from the US and his widespread cuts to foreign aid and domestic welfare programmes.

Francis has called the immigration crackdown a “disgrace”.

Vance, who became Catholic in 2019, has cited medieval-era Catholic teaching to justify the policy.

The pope rebutted the theological concept Vance used to defend the crackdown in an unusual open letter to the US Catholic bishops about the Trump administration in February, and called Trump’s plan a “major crisis” for the US.